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A review by lizmart88
The Misfit's Manifesto by Lidia Yuknavitch
4.0
Insightful and evocative look at misfits in our society.
First off, the author makes it clear that not everyone is a misfit. This isn't about making the term more acceptable. I am not a misfit just because I have some quirks or sometimes feel like I don't fit in. A misfit is a person who truly feels alien from society. Who doesn't find their tribe of people, their community. Who takes a wholly different path in life that is often viewed as wrong.
The book has chapters on different aspects but also includes first person narratives from students in the authors writing classes. Those narratives provide a more balanced view of misfits beyond just the author's view.
I didn't expect to be so pulled in by this book. I'm not a misfit. But I was struck by how insightful her critiques are - of our society's fixation on the hero journey to the detriment of misfits and many others; of how our judgments are so harmful to misfits trying to find their way.
The book is a larger expansion on her Ted talk and is actually published by Ted. Pretty short, quick read, and definitely will leave you thinking.
First off, the author makes it clear that not everyone is a misfit. This isn't about making the term more acceptable. I am not a misfit just because I have some quirks or sometimes feel like I don't fit in. A misfit is a person who truly feels alien from society. Who doesn't find their tribe of people, their community. Who takes a wholly different path in life that is often viewed as wrong.
The book has chapters on different aspects but also includes first person narratives from students in the authors writing classes. Those narratives provide a more balanced view of misfits beyond just the author's view.
I didn't expect to be so pulled in by this book. I'm not a misfit. But I was struck by how insightful her critiques are - of our society's fixation on the hero journey to the detriment of misfits and many others; of how our judgments are so harmful to misfits trying to find their way.
The book is a larger expansion on her Ted talk and is actually published by Ted. Pretty short, quick read, and definitely will leave you thinking.